Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has made history once again in her state, appointing the conservative Cody Hiland to the state Supreme Court on Monday — shifting it to the right for the first time.
This is of great importance since Arkansas was the last southern state to turn red; former Democratic President Bill Clinton was governor there in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as state attorney general.
“State Republicans last year elected the 51-year-old Hiland as chairman of the state party,” reported The Western Journal.
“From 2017 to 2020, he served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas following his appointment by then-President Donald Trump, and prior to that he served as legal counsel for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and prosecutor for the 20th Judicial District of Arkansas.”
He also played an integral role in Sanders’ successful gubernatorial campaign when she became Arkansas’s first female governor.
Sanders took to Twitter on Monday saying:
“Today, I appointed former prosecutor and U.S. attorney Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court — marking the first time the Court will have a conservative majority. Cody brings decades of legal experience to the job — and I am confident he will serve our state well.”
Today, I appointed former prosecutor and U.S. attorney Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court — marking the first time the Court will have a conservative majority.
Cody brings decades of legal experience to the job — and I am confident he will serve our state well. pic.twitter.com/w1gmAAyxO8
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) July 3, 2023
Hiland was appointed after Justice Robin Wynne passed away from leukemia at 70 years old, receiving praise from many including Republican Senator Tom Cotton who tweeted that Hiland’s appointment was “an outstanding selection” and described him as being fair, impartial, and able to apply law without favoritism — calling it “a great day for Arkansas”.
Attorney General Tim Griffin also expressed approval tweeting that Cody is an “outstanding appointment” with decades of public service and private practice experience under his belt which would serve him well on their State Supreme Court bench.
But this isn’t Governor Sanders’ only battle against liberal policies. Last month she vowed to fight back after federal judge James M Moody Jr., appointed by Barack Obama struck down a state law aimed at regulating transgender treatment including sex-change surgeries for children.
She claims it pushed a political agenda rather than protecting kids or safeguarding medical ethics — something Sanders strongly disagreed with.
Sander stated instead that only in far-left America is it not appropriate to protect children from such measures which could result in permanent harm though no scientific evidence suggests they are beneficial.
She further noted that they plan on appealing Judge Moody’s decision through the eight circuit court where 10 out 11 judges were appointed by Republican presidents – emphasizing just how important these decisions are in helping preserve conservative values across America.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
